The National tribune., 1887-04-07

years! From the nights Of Gettysburg 70 where
some lonely skrmish-line stretched out TO dye
the earth with brothers blood; from the lar
plains OF Texas mp TO where the rolling Poto-
mac sends its eternal tribute aud refrain OF
praise 90 those who died upon its banks-every-
where, upon every Geld upon which he poured
cut the rich libation Of his blood, the American
volunteer soldier. victorious. splendid. every
where the conservator of liberty and human
rghtsl Before him went down all opposition,
and behind him arose municipal Government,
reconstructed States and an orderly condition
Of society. Applause. This is the character
and this is the soldier Of our time. Iaurels
were never laid upon a lordlieT brow. Hands
were never lifted in a nobler or more magniii-
cent strife. Mightier triumphs never graced
the standards of any people. But after the
sound Of war had died away, liberty had not
suffered. Tho State WAS preserved, ard the
Nation lived 10 thank the soldier for the pres
crvation Of the greatest Republic OF the world.
[Appause
Where is he nowP Where is that boy who left
the corn rOwsp Go back 20 the corn rows next
July, and, as the hot wind Of Summer blows
through them, creating the sweetest OF melo-
dies, you will find an old man, and that is the
boy-hack where he was when he went out
20 fight the battles Of his country. lie has
helped 10 save the Republic and he is back
laboring in the corn rows from which he
started 20 90 out TO battle. Some, too adven-
turous to return 10 their home, are prospecting
among the mines. That is another Of the
boys" and he gets his bonanza as well as the
rest Of them. Some are prosperous merchants; (;
some the owners Of ships; Others the owners oi
! farms; some Of them are not quite so well of.
! But wherever these old men are, wecannot help
/ thinking they were "the boys" not so very
/ long since, and we know that whether they are
listening 10 the music Of the winds In the
corn, OF whether they are delving IN the
mines or whether they are at work in their
counting houses, or whether they sit At the bo-
nanza kings board, or whether they are in the
] halls Of legislation, or filling Gubernatoral
chairs or Senators representing mighty States
] OF the Republic, we know wherever they are
and however great may have been their success
since, every now and then the old men viii
stop to brush the hair off their foreheads, turn
/ from the daily toll, and, leaning back, let the
panorama Of that eventful four years-a splen-
did vision of great devotion TO liberty and OF
loyslty-rise before them as a vision before the
! eyes of the ENHANCED evangelist. A great
many OF them have been captured they have
! yielded 20 arms much more powerful than
! those Of rebellion laughter and applausel, and
they are very glad Of it in the majority OF
cases. There is, Of course,
SAD AND DREADFUL SIDE
20 this picture, but j am not here tonight to
/ tell the Oft-tOld story OF grief and death. Inc
whole American Nation wears a badge OF
mourning for those who died in the struggle.
! I do not propose in this gay and brilliant as
semblage to revive any of those sorrowiul mem
Ories j speak Of the soldier who fought aud
survived, and who to-day is performing has
part as an American citizen wherever he may
be found. To-day he is intoxicating in the
minds Of the young lessons of liberty, OF
patriotism and Of devotion; to-day his master
/ ful hand is laid upon the commerce OF the
American people; to-day be is found in every
sphere of labor; today he is directing the
/ looms and spindles Of our great manu-
factories; to-day he is helping TO make the
! laws; to-day he is amassing wealth and help
/ ing TO pay the burden Of the Nation TO those
who manned and broken in Its fortunate
cause survived TO receive from his hands, as
well as from the hands of those not fortunate
enough 10 stand by his SIDE the merited re-
ward for their devotion; today the soldier is a
law-abiding citizen. And this is The Soldier T"
of whom j speak. lie has made his age Illus
trious, his country enduring, and humanity
better greater. and nobler for his four years
Of strife, although he walked during those
! four years through red sea OF sorrow, and
/ bore the hOnors of the Republic stained with
blood, to safety aud 10 peace. lLong continued
/ applause.